50 million individuals who are enslaved today The countries with the most victims of modern slavery include North Korea, Eritrea, and Mauritania. Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait were all among the top 10. According to a recent survey, the number of people who are victims of contemporary slavery has significantly increased during the past five years. The greatest rates are found in North Korea and Eritrea. A new report released in London on Wednesday reveals that the number of people falling prey to modern slavery has significantly increased in recent years. The Global Slavery Index published by the human rights organisation Walk Free estimates that 50 million people were "living in situations of modern slavery" in 2021. That marks a 10 million increase from the last projection made five years prior. In addition to other issues, the situation is getting worse "against a backdrop of increasing and more complex armed conflicts, widespread environmental degradation, and consequences from the Covid-19 pandemic." The Walk Free website defines contemporary slavery as "a set of specific legal concepts including forced labour, debt bondage, forced marriage, slavery and slavery-like practises, and human trafficking." In every country and region of the world, modern slavery is pervasive and often goes unnoticed. People are fooled, persuaded, or pushed into exploitative situations every day and are unable to leave them. Without realising the hidden human cost, we purchase the goods or utilise the services they are compelled to provide, the report emphasised. According to the survey, approximately one in every 150 individuals worldwide are subjected to forced labour, which accounts for 27.6 million of the contemporary slaves, and forced marriage, which accounts for 22 million. According to the study, North Korea, Eritrea, and Mauritania have the highest rates of modern slavery victims (104,6 per 1,000 persons), followed by Eritrea (90,3) and Mauritania (32). The top 10 countries included Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. According to the report, these nations have certain similar political, social, and economic traits, including a lack of comprehensive civil liberties and human rights safeguards. According to the report, several of these areas have experienced violence, political unrest, and/or authoritarianism, and a number of them are also home to sizable populations of migrants and refugees who "frequently lack the same legal protections as citizens and are highly vulnerable to exploitation." According to the research, governments in a number of nations compel their citizens to labour in various industries, private prisons, or through forced conscription.